Juveniles do have the same rights to counsel as adults would in Pennsylvania. If a juvenile is charged with a crime, the juvenile would have the right to an attorney. The juvenile, as is also the case with an adult, is not subject to having their Miranda rights or to be provided their Miranda warnings. In other words, when the police or law enforcement would state to a juvenile they have the right to remain silent and they related Miranda warnings that only comes if the juvenile is subject to custodial questioning, they have to be both in police custody and subject to questioning.
A juvenile in Pennsylvania can be questioned by the police through pre-Miranda, or if the juvenile has not invoked his or her Miranda rights, they can be questioned without getting the parents' permission to do so. Often, parents may not have an understanding of that. It may be a delicate area, but police do not have to get permission from the parents. Although police do have to be mindful not to say be unduly coercive of the juvenile the fact that they are minors.
Fundamentally a juvenile does have the same rights as an adult. The consequences can be incredibly serious for a juvenile, both in the short and longterm, it could affect the juvenile for the rest of his or her life. That's why having experienced Pennsylvania juvenile defense attorney in your child's corner from as early as possible in the process will help you best understand and navigate the juvenile justice system.
